1.2 Convection Currents and the Mantle

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Vocabulary

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heat transfer: the movement of energy from a warmer object to a cooler object
radiation: the transfer of energy through empty space
conduction: heat transfer by direct contact of particles of matter
convection: heat transfer by the movement of a heated fluid
density: measure of how much mass there is in a volume of a substance
convection current: flow that transfers heat within a fluid

Outline

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Radiation

• Transfer of energy through empty space
  • sunlight

Conduction

• heat transfer by direct contact of particles of matter
  • soup heats spoon
  • hand melts snow

Convection

• heat transfer by the movement of fluids
  • caused by different temperature and density
    • rock is more dense than water
  • when fluid is heated particles move faster
    • density decreases
  • convection current
    • warm soup rises to top and cools
    • gravity pulls it down and becomes heated

Convection in Earth's Mantle

• convection currents flow in asthensophere
  • have been there over four billion years

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